10 Reasons the '70s were Rock's best decade

[Vincent Vega]

10 Reasons the ‘70s was Rock’s Greatest Decade

Russell Hall

10.31.2012

Every generation has a soft spot for the decade in which it came of age. For rock and roll fans, however, it’s hard to argue that any decade surpassed the ‘70s, on a number of fronts. Post-Beatles and pre-MTV, the ‘70s occupied a sweet spot where rock and roll was played out on wide-open terrain, and on a field where “genre” had yet to become a catch-word. Below are 10 other factors that made that decade rock and roll’s best.

Riffs, Riffs, and more Riffs

“Walk this Way,” “Black Dog,” “Iron Man,” “Smoke on the Water” … the list goes on and on. So ubiquitous were great guitar riffs in the ‘70s, it sometimes seemed bands were drawing from a bottomless bucket of memorable six-string figures. It’s hardly surprising that, to this day, aspiring guitar players often look first to the ‘70s for riff-oriented material that’s relatively easy to cover.

Radio Ruled

Tune to any rock station in the ‘70s, and in the span of a half-hour you might hear artists as diverse as The Raspberries, Al Green, and Conway Twitty. Contrast that with today, when radio is rigidly segmented and disc jockeys have about as much discretion as someone who’s incarcerated. Moreover, the era of the glorious one-hit wonder – Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky,” Blues Image’s “Ride Captain Ride,” Shocking Blue’s “Venus – is long past.

Southern Rock

Sure, rock and roll originated in the South, but in the ‘70s legions of groups emerged who gave “southern rock” its own distinctive flavor. With The Allman Brothers Band leading the charge, groups such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Wet Willie offered up a feast of deep-fried guitar-rock steeped in country and blues. So powerful was southern rock as a communal force, it helped elected a president, thanks to rallies staged by The Allman Brothers for then-candidate Jimmy Carter.

Great Album Cover Art

Yes

From Roger Dean’s fabulous Yes covers to H.R. Giger’s ambitious packaging of ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery to Storm Thorgerson’s elegant work for Pink Floyd, album-cover art and packaging reached a zenith in the ‘70s. Today’s rockers often speak of the lost thrill of tearing the shrink-wrap from an LP, and then musing over the elaborate packaging while listening to a treasured new disc. Notwithstanding the resurrection of vinyl, online access to music has, for the most part, deprived today’s listeners of that experience.

Punk Rock

By 1976, rock and roll was showing signs of becoming stodgy, “disco-fied,” and (thanks to prog bands) somewhat elitist. Punk rock changed all that. Taking their cues from The Stooges and The Ramones, bands such as The Sex Pistols and The Clash reminded us that rock’s visceral energy had less to do with virtuosity than with amped-up barre chords and a snarling spirit. From the sidelines, even old-school rockers like Neil Young cheered the punks on.

Artist-Friendly Record Labels

It was common practice, in the ‘70s, for record companies to simply allot a budget to a band, and then turn them loose in the studio to make whatever type of album they wanted to make. Furthermore, artists such as Alice Cooper, Sly and The Family Stone, and Peter Frampton were nurtured along until commercial success came their way. Such freedom and nurturing would be unthinkable today.

Glam Rock

John Lennon famously described glam rock as simply “rock and roll with lipstick on.” Mascara and rouge notwithstanding, the genre yielded music that shines with a glittery resonance to this day. Powered by the likes of Mick Ronson, Phil Manzanera, and, in the case of T.Rex, Marc Bolan himself, the best of glam rock packed an incendiary wallop. Even The Rolling Stones, for a time, couldn’t resist jumping on board.

MTV Didn’t Exist

Video may not have killed the radio star, but it certainly sapped the mystique from rock and roll. Prior to the advent of MTV, rock fans looked to music publications and weekly installments of The Midnight Special or Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert to keep tabs on (and see) their favorite artists. Today’s media saturation brings artists and fans together as never before, but at the expense of the sublime kick that rarer access provided.

Led Zeppelin

Who would have imagined, when they unleashed their debut album in early 1969, that Led Zeppelin would become the preeminent band of the ‘70s? Over the course of ten studio albums, Page, Plant, Jones, and Bonham crafted a body of work that rivals that of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in terms of far-reaching impact. Reflecting a purity of spirit that was in some ways unique to their decade, Led Zeppelin rightly called it quits when their beloved Bonzo died in 1980.

Exile on Main Street

Rolling Stones

Everyone makes a big deal out of The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s, and rightly so. But no album matches The Rolling Stones’s two-disc masterpiece in terms of assimilating rock and roll’s primal ingredients. From fiery country-blues to sizzling barnhouse stomps to searing gospel and beyond, Exile has it all. If rock and roll can be said to have a bible, it’s this album.

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[Dan H.]

No

[Guest Len B'stard]

10 Reasons Why The Above Reasons Are A Load of Bollocks by SugarayLen

1) The whole riffs thing was done a lot better by bluesmen that came before the 70s, it was nothing new or even particularly impressive. Catchy? Yes...but not a lot besides

2) Truth is 70s radio was full of pop shit, just like radio in every other era before or since. The parameters of what is or isn't rock is conveniently broadened everytime people wanna sing up rock but whats real is real, Al Green ain't got shit to do with rock and never did.

3) Southern Rock was is probably the foremost culprit of leading rock n roll to museumhood, based on it's totally inoffensive lack of originality and content.

4) Seems pretty much just a continuation of what was happening with artwork in the 60s, with nothing new to it that could concievably be considered it's own stamp i.e. the stamp of the 70s

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it

6) Artist Friendly Record Labels = a total fucking falsehood. In fact they're more artist friendly now because of imprint labels that are run under the auspices of individual artists who sign more artistically inclined stuff than any of the so-called "hip" A&R men of the 70s and in these ways, with your Shady Recordses and the like, are certain artists nutured and then blown up or taken overground, in fact these labels were the snobbiest stuck up fuckin' bastards of all, there's a reason when independent record labels that flourished in later decades got their start in the 70s, because unless you played up to the expectations of these so called artist friendly labels, you never got a fuckin' look in.

7) Glam Rock - OK, point taken on that one

8) MTV did not exist...so uh, there were less avenues for music to get a push...thats a good thing?

9) No comment

10) Brilliant album, one of the best i've ever heard but to say it says something for the identity of the 70s doesn't say a lot for the 70s considering it was considered a retro/kitsch album even then.

Conclusion: Fuck the 70s. The few (and i mean few) things that were good about the 70s were in direct contrast to all this shit. What was good about the 70s was where Motown went, what was good about the 70s was punk ripping up the 70s rock blueprint and breathing life and the spirit of invention into music, what was good about the 70s was krautrock and burgeoning electronic experimentation in music, outside of the rock dinosaurs and their indulgences, what was good about the 70s was the birth of hip hop, what was good about the 70s was funk, what was good about the 70s was the explosion of new sounds coming out of Jamaica under the reggae banner that totally revolutionised and cleared the way for a million fuckin' other musical genres of the future.

Rock tried it's best to leech of every single one of the above mentioned musical innovations, for it's own benefit, whilst at the same time disregarding them, rock by the 70s was the establishment, it was knowingly writing it's own mythology at that point and acting it out with none of the exhuberance and vitality of the 60s. In short, it had become masturbation.

Edited November 9, 2012 by sugaraylen

[Dan H.]

Well this thread is over.

Can we get a lock?

[volcano62]

70's rock > 80's, 90's and 2000's rock

Edited November 9, 2012 by volcano62

[izzygirl]

The reason why the above reasons by SugarayLen are a load of bollocks:

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it.

[Guest Len B'stard]

The reason why the above reasons by SugarayLen are a load of bollocks:

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it.

I noticed you have a tendency to comment on things you have absolutely no clue about (Miguel Cotto comes to mind ) so i'm gonna file this under agitation and give you a pass You have the most pedestrian, lightweight, middle aged caucasian housewife in the midst of a midlife crisis type taste in music so, y'know, what can a boy say here really? One word, Springsteen, rubber stamp, next in line

Edited November 9, 2012 by sugaraylen

[Ragnar]

70`s Rock was the best oh and fuck Punk up the ass except few great bands

[Guest Len B'stard]

70`s Rock was the best oh and fuck Punk up the ass except few great bands

So you're saying...fuck em...but dont fuck em Right, OK, as long as i'm following

[izzygirl]

The reason why the above reasons by SugarayLen are a load of bollocks:

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it.

I noticed you have a tendency to comment on things you have absolutely no clue about (Miguel Cotto comes to mind ) so i'm gonna file this under agitation and give you a pass You have the most pedestrian, lightweight, middle aged caucasian housewife in the midst of a midlife crisis type taste in music so, y'know, what can a boy say here really? One word, Springsteen, rubber stamp, next in line

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

Edited November 9, 2012 by izzygirl

[Ragnar]

70`s Rock was the best oh and fuck Punk up the ass except few great bands

So you're saying...fuck em...but dont fuck em Right, OK, as long as i'm following

WTF ?

[Guest Len B'stard]

The reason why the above reasons by SugarayLen are a load of bollocks:

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it.

I noticed you have a tendency to comment on things you have absolutely no clue about (Miguel Cotto comes to mind ) so i'm gonna file this under agitation and give you a pass You have the most pedestrian, lightweight, middle aged caucasian housewife in the midst of a midlife crisis type taste in music so, y'know, what can a boy say here really? One word, Springsteen, rubber stamp, next in line

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

I didn't say it sucked, i was saying that it weren't the best decade for it. The only person you mentioned there that i rate as 'great' is david bowie and the reason for that is because he broke the mould of what the rest were up to at the time.

[izzygirl]

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

I didn't say it sucked, i was saying that it weren't the best decade for it. The only person you mentioned there that i rate as 'great' is david bowie and the reason for that is because he broke the mould of what the rest were up to at the time.

Yes, you said it sucks, literally. Consequently, you have to understand that from now on, your opinion doesn't count anymore.

[MEXzilla]

GnR at their peek...Soundgarden at their peek...Alice in Chains....man I can keep going with the 90s; but then again every era has their greats like the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I guess its just that the 00s sucked big time, we tend to ignore the legends that have appeared in the past 30 or so years.

[jekylhyde]

I actually like music from every era of rock. From the 70s to 2000. I LOVE Aerosmith and obviously Guns. From the 90s, I dig grunge a bit and of course NIN. I especially love good nu-metal bands such as Korn, Deftones and System of A Down. From the 21st century era bands, I love Devildriver. If it's good, it's good. Every decade has been more or less good for rock fans.

Edited November 9, 2012 by jekylhyde

[bran]

70s rock was awesome, as for the riffs section please do not name black sabbaths iron man, sabbath had a million better riffs than iron man

[Guest Len B'stard]

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

I didn't say it sucked, i was saying that it weren't the best decade for it. The only person you mentioned there that i rate as 'great' is david bowie and the reason for that is because he broke the mould of what the rest were up to at the time.

Yes, you said it sucks, literally. Consequently, you have to understand that from now on, your opinion doesn't count anymore.

I'm afraid i didn't dear, in fact, you'll find that the word sucks is not a part of my vocabulary, chiefly because i'm not a 14 yr old American boy that collects baseball cards.

P.s. fuck Celta Vigo

Edited November 9, 2012 by sugaraylen

[Kill Devil Hill]

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

I didn't say it sucked, i was saying that it weren't the best decade for it. The only person you mentioned there that i rate as 'great' is david bowie and the reason for that is because he broke the mould of what the rest were up to at the time.

Yes, you said it sucks, literally. Consequently, you have to understand that from now on, your opinion doesn't count anymore.

I'm afraid i didn't dear, in fact, you'll find that the word sucks is not a part of my vocabulary, chiefly because i'm not a 14 yr old American boy that collects baseball cards.

P.s. fuck Celta

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it

Anyway, I don't know if '70s rock is the best, but it's my favorite.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I have a tendency to comment on things I have no clue... but this is not the case. Whoever says 70s rock sucked shouldn't be allowed to comment about music. I'm not saying punk sucks, I like punk, but 70s rock was fuckin' great. Led Zep, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, AC/DC, Queen... come on...

I didn't say it sucked, i was saying that it weren't the best decade for it. The only person you mentioned there that i rate as 'great' is david bowie and the reason for that is because he broke the mould of what the rest were up to at the time.

Yes, you said it sucks, literally. Consequently, you have to understand that from now on, your opinion doesn't count anymore.

I'm afraid i didn't dear, in fact, you'll find that the word sucks is not a part of my vocabulary, chiefly because i'm not a 14 yr old American boy that collects baseball cards.

P.s. fuck Celta

5) Punk existed because 70s rock sucked, it is not a part of 70s rock, it was the remedy to it

Anyway, I don't know if '70s rock is the best, but it's my favorite.

Was gonna put in brackets (secretly hopes he didn't use the word ). Egg on my face

[dalsh327]

I just think everything that happened in the 70s, was a refined version of what already happened in the 60s. Just the fact people stopped calling rock a fad and became taken serious as an art makes it an important decade, but the songs that came out from 1960 to 1969 is pretty massive. Not saying there wasn't crap, but the productivity was off the charts high and people were being really innovative and pushing boundaries and limits.

I'm not trashing 70s music, just saying that if you're picking a decade out of high productivity and quality, the 60s had way more going on.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I just think everything that happened in the 70s, was a refined version of what already happened in the 60s. Just the fact people stopped calling rock a fad and became taken serious as an art makes it an important decade, but the songs that came out from 1960 to 1969 is pretty massive. Not saying there wasn't crap, but the productivity was off the charts high and people were being really innovative and pushing boundaries and limits.

I'm not trashing 70s music, just saying that if you're picking a decade out of high productivity and quality, the 60s had way more going on.

Agreed, refined in these instances basically means calculated and more cynical, less spontaeneous, there was something natural about the experimentation of the 60s, difficult to classify because of that.

Like jimi, what do you call Jimi exactly? Acid rock? Bullshit definition, that was some spaceman shit.

Edited November 9, 2012 by sugaraylen

[Randy Lahey]

The best period in rock music is from 67-72.

[dalsh327]

I just think everything that happened in the 70s, was a refined version of what already happened in the 60s. Just the fact people stopped calling rock a fad and became taken serious as an art makes it an important decade, but the songs that came out from 1960 to 1969 is pretty massive. Not saying there wasn't crap, but the productivity was off the charts high and people were being really innovative and pushing boundaries and limits.

I'm not trashing 70s music, just saying that if you're picking a decade out of high productivity and quality, the 60s had way more going on.

Agreed, refined in these instances basically means calculated and more cynical, less spontaeneous, there was something natural about the experimentation of the 60s, difficult to classify because of that.

Like jimi, what do you call Jimi exactly? Acid rock? Bullshit definition, that was some spaceman shit.

Prolific and unfulfilled.

[Dan H.]

00's > 60's = 50's > 70's > 90's > 80's

[moreblack]

Lenny: always ready to poop on any party.